


Warrior Princesses

by OrTheNightEverythingChanged



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clexa, Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fencing, Fluff, I'm not sure yet, Love, Maybe - Freeform, One Night Stands, Really like a lot, a lot of fluff, also a bit of hot stuff, clexa modern au, madi is clarke and finn's daugther
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-02 13:06:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14545380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrTheNightEverythingChanged/pseuds/OrTheNightEverythingChanged
Summary: Clexa fencing (more or less) AUClarke Griffin is a single mother navigating through work, crazy friends and the fantasies of her daughter Madi. When a bedtime story becomes A LOT more real than how she'd ever imagine, Clarke meets Lexa Woods, Madi's beautiful (and terrifying) fencing teacher. Or is she something more?Between foils and words as sharp as swords, will Clarke open her heart to love?





	1. Bedtime Stories (part one)

«Once upon a time there was a princess named Alexandra who lived in a land devastated by monsters and wars» Madi hid herself a little under the duvet and looked at her mother with big, scared eyes.

«Mom, it’s a horror story! How can I fall asleep now?» Clarke smiled and stroked her child’s head, holding her tight.

«It’s not a horror story, my love, let me continue and you’ll see. So, once upon a time there was a princess named Alexandra who lived in a land devastated by monsters and wars. Alexandra wasn’t a normal princess, though, cause normal fairytale princesses always get kidnapped by witches and put in super high towers, with fire-breathing dragons guarding them and eating every knight bold enough – or fool enough – to try rescuing the princess-»

« _Moooom!_ » complained Madi; she laughed and sat up from where she was hidden under the duvet, pouting. «I don’t wanna hear your story anymore, I don’t like it!»

«But the good part is about to come!»

«Really?»

«Hmm-hmm» Clarke nodded, barely holding a laughter. Madi looked at her, hesitantly, eyes reduced into two green cracks, as stinging as pins. «You have to know that Alexandra was a warrior princess!»

«A warrior princess?!?!» Madi opened her eyes wide and curled up against Clarke, suddenly interested again. Clarke burst into laughters and held her even tighter, giving her a noisy kiss on the forehead. The night was silent around them, the city almost asleep in that chill autumn evening. Only their laughs could be heard in that small, green painted bedroom. «Go on, mom!»

«Okay, okay» Clarke smiled and looked around her, searching for inspiration for that crazy improvised story. But she knew that was the kind of fairytales her daughter liked the most. They were both tired of reading books where the damsel in distress got rescued by the handsome boy on the white horse. Because in their world, things were a lot different. In their world… well, in their world girls usually were the ones rolling up their sleeves and doing the saving. It was Madi’s grandma, Clarke’s mom, Abby, that cured people everyday at the hospital. Her aunt Octavia was a cop and always caught the _bad guys_. And aunt Raven could fix anything, from a car to a crazy blender to the doll that didn’t talk anymore when you pushed its belly. Madi revered all the strong and brave women that inhabited her world.

Because, like her mom said when she thought Madi couldn’t hear her – the little girl heard her anyway, though – women in their world _kicked asses._

«So?» Madi urged Clarke hitting her with her shoulder «What happens next?» Clarke wrinkled her lips smiling to herself.

«It happens that Alexandra was a warrior princess, right? And that means that nobody nor anything scared her. In her realm there were monsters and wars, that’s true, but she fought them with tenacity and courage. She had a beautiful sword that shone under the sun and with which she fought fiercely. _ZAM ZAM ZAM_!» Clarke pretended she held a sword in her hands and mimicked a wild combat against an imaginary enemy. Madi laughed and started fighting too, kicking away the duvet with her feet: the mattress was a battlefield now. «All the bad guys fell at her feet. She had an army that followed her in battle and that obliged all her orders, and the enemies quivered in front of their power. Even the most monstrous monsters ran away. The people adored her, because she was a caring a charitable princess, and she always helped her subjects.»

Clarke stopped for a second turning towards her daughter, who was watching her, out of breath because of that improvised fight. She had a mischievous light in her eyes that Clarke loved. Even if Finn and Clarke had divorced years ago and didn’t always see eye to eye, she would have always been grateful to him for helping her raise the wonderful girl that Madi was. Clarke had no idea what it would have been of her hadn’t Madi been there. After her father died, Clarke had fallen in what had looked like a bottomless abyss, dark and terrifying, which she had a lot of troubles emerging from. But Madi had given her a new reason to live. She had given her strength, she had given her joy. She had given her life.

«One day, Alexandra and her troops arrived at a village that had been attacked by the monsters» Clarke pulled the duvet back up and patted it to show Madi to get back next to her. The girl smiled and hugged Clarke like a small koala «The housed burned and all the little birds and the other animals had run away from the fire. The people had found refuge in the nearby woods, in a clearing where the kids always played during the summer. Among all the people there was a girl, Clarissa, that despite having lost basically everything, still held onto hope. She kept fighting and helping other people. Clarissa was a healer, and after the attack at the village she had immediately started mending the wounded, saving them from the flames.»

«Like grandma?»

«Exactly, dear, like grandma.» Clarke stroked her head and checked the alarm on the bedside table. It was almost time to go to sleep: Madi had to go to school the next day, and Clarke to work; they both would have to get up early «Do you know what happened next?»

«Nope what what _what_?» asked Madi, excited « _Teeeeelll meeeeee!_ »

«It happened that, just like I said before, Alexandra and her soldiers arrived at the village, extinguished the fire and tried to save what was savable, which wasn’t much, but still something. Then they went in the woods to help the people who had run away. And right there, the princess Alexandra met Clarissa. And it was love at first sight.»

« _Oooooohhhhh_ » Madi couldn’t hold back a yawn. She adjusted on Clarke’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Clarke tucked her in smiling lovingly «And then?»

«And then the rest of the story has to wait, now it’s time to sleep» Clarke kissed her again on the forehead and got up from bed. She turned the nightlight on and turned off the bigger one on the bedside table, and went towards the door. «Goodnight, my love.»

«’Night mom» said Madi, already half asleep. Clarke stopped next to the door to look at her daughter, smiling. God, how much she loved her. «Mom?»

«Yes, baby?» said Clarke coming back to reality from the daydream she had watching her little girl.

«Can I be a warrior princess like Alexandra too?»

Clarke snorted, amused, and nodded «Of course, but you already are a warrior princess. My little warrior princess.»

Madi smiled, sent her a kiss and fell asleep.

Clarke gently closed the door not to make a sound and went to bed as well.

That was how a simple bedtime story started it all. That was how the story of the golden-haired princess who fell in love with the green-eyed warrior began. Although not Clarke nor Madi knew it yet. They would have found out only later, little by little.

For that night, Clarke could only dream about beautiful warrior princesses, not knowing that she would have soon met one that would have stolen her heart.

***

Clarke had no idea what she had started with that bedtime story. It wouldn’t have taken much to find out, though.

Her ignorance lasted exactly a night.

«Mom, when I grow up I wanna be a warrior princess» began Madi the next morning, entering the kitchen to have breakfast. She jumped on the stool and crossed her arms, looking at Clarke with the determined stare of who’s not willing to give in.

«Good morning to you too, Madi» mocked her Clarke with a smile, without turning towards her. She wasn’t the best cook in the world and the eggs needed all her concentration. One day, maybe the last month – or was it the one before the last one? Clarke didn’t remember exactly the day – she got distracted for a second and it had finished with burned eggs and the smoke detector _beeping_ like crazy. _Better learn from the past and not repeat the same mistakes._ Clarke poured the eggs from the pan to Madi’s plate, took some for herself too and sat next to Madi. The orange juice was already in front of them, and so were the cutleries, the napkins and all the necessary for an excellent breakfast.

Why hadn’t Madi dashed on the breakfast like usual yet, then?

«Madi?» Clarke called her, watching her with her eyebrows up up up. The girl stood still on her stool, arms crossed and determined gaze set on Clarke.

«I wanna be a warrior princess» she said, serious only like a ten years old girl could be. Clarke smiled and ruffled her hair – she knew too well Madi _hated_ it; that was exactly why she did it – inviting her to start eating _«’cause warrior princesses can’t fight with an empty stomach!»_

Madi put her hair in order, stuck out her tongue to Clarke and finally started eating. She inhaled the scrambled eggs and drank her orange juice in one breath, then she jumped down the stool and ran to brush her teeth and take the backpack to go to school. Clarke hadn’t finished her eggs yet when Madi came back in the kitchen, all ready to go, and looked at her mother, waiting.

«So?» said Madi impatiently.

Clarke wore her gaze thin, not sure whether to scold her daughter or start laughing. «Let me finish eating, at least. And by the way, what’s with all this excitement? The trip to the museum is only in a week.»

«I wanna ask to Miss Fisher – the science teacher – how to become a warrior princess! She always knows everything!» Clarke rolled her eyes and hid her smile, but hurried to finish her breakfast and take her daughter to school. She brushed her teeth too (because a mother always had to set a good example) and took her bag for work, then Clarke took her car keys and with Madi exited the house.

Madi spent the whole trip keeping moving on her seat, suffering. Her mom didn’t want to drive faster. The music on the radio wasn’t right. The kids walking down the streets with their parents weren’t right either. They weren’t invincible warriors or monsters she had to slay, and the world wasn’t a desolate land to save. But most of all, she wasn’t a warrior princess yet.

Clarke stopped the car in front of the school and Madi rushed to unbuckle the seatbelt, but Clarke blocked her with a hand «Wait a second, Madi.»

Madi grumbled and turned towards her « _Whaaaaaaaaatttt?_ »

Clarke raised an eyebrow and closed her lips in a thin line «First of all, you quit this behavior. Now.» Madi became red red red and murmured a _«Sorry, mom»_ in the general direction of Clarke «This time I’ll forgive you, but calm down. I told you you can be a warrior princess, but with _calm_. Patience is the most valuable virtue a princess can have, did you know that?» Madi shook her head and looked at her mother, interested «She has to listen to all of her people’s complains every single day, it must be soooo boring! But a princess is patient and listens to everybody with a smile and a kind word. So don’t rush into things, okay?»

«Okay, mom»

Clarke gave her a smacking kiss on her cheek and said goodbye with a smile «Now go, and don’t have too much fun, princess!»

Madi laughed and kissed back, then she fled the car to run after her friends.

Clarke watched her shaking her head, a fond smile on her lips. Then she put into reverse and went to the art gallery where she worked. _A warrior princess_. She smiled, thinking about the little fantasies of her girl. The previous month she wanted to become an astronaut so badly she made Clarke paint a starry sky – with all the constellation in the right place – on the ceiling of her bedroom during the weekend. But just like the fantasy came, so it went away. And it would have been the same this time too. Madi changed her mind pretty often, she got obsessed with something for a certain period, and then lost interest and passed to another thing, like you do with new toys. Weren’t all kids like that, though?

Clarke wasn’t worried. After work she would have bought her a plastic sword that would have made her happy until she decided she wanted to be something else, and that was it. In the weekend Madi would have gone to Finn’s and she would have made him go crazy too – which Clarke didn’t mind, not even a bit. Madi was in that age where her dreams were big and wonderful, but at the same time impossible. It would have passed.

_ (Oh, was she wrong!) _


	2. Bedtime Stories (part two)

«What’s with this story of the “warrior princess”?» asked Finn that Sunday evening, when he brought Madi back to Clarke’s home after a weekend spent with his daughter. Madi had run straight in to watch cartoons, while the two of them had stayed at the front door, just like always. That was one of the rules that Raven and Octavia had given Clarke when Finn and she had decided to part ways. _Don’t let him in, you’ll have to kick him out again_. At the beginning it had been hard to follow, but after some time Clarke got used to it. Since then she had always been following that rule, and her life got definitely better.

Clarke smiled, and told her ex-husband where that story had started. Finn burst into laughter and gave little importance to _«your daughter’s new extravagance»_. Clarke frowned. Joking was okay, but Madi really believed in this, and the two of them, as her parents, had to support her in her dreams, as impossible as they were. Fantasy was to be nourished, not repressed, especially at her age. Clarke pursed her lips, but said nothing. _Always the same Finn._ There was a reason they had divorced: they were too different. But after all, Finn was a good parent to Madi. Even if he didn’t understand everything that went through his daughter’s mind – who could, though? Clarke certainly not – he was educating her well. Somehow, Clarke and he completed each other.

They said their goodnights and goodbyes, then Finn went home and Clarke closed the door. She let Madi watch the cartoons for a little more, then put her to bed.

«So, how did it go with dad?» asked Clarke laying down in the small bed next to Madi.

Madi smiled «Super-duper good!» she said, and she launched herself into a _very_ brief report of her weekend: they had been to the playground, Finn had got her ice cream even if it was a bit cold – at those news, Clarke gave her a small pinch on her side, making her burst into laughter «I told you no ice cream when it’s cold! It makes you get bellyache» « _I knooooooooooow_ mom but coconut ice cream is _so goooood_!» – and they had made homework together on Sunday. «The end!» said Madi once she was done, i.e. half a minute after she started «Now will you tell me the end of the story?»

«What story?» Clarke asked, even if she knew exactly what Madi was talking about.

«The one of the warrior princess, of course!» shouted Madi, outraged that her mother could have forgotten that _wonderful fairytale_.

«Hmmmm, let me see if you’ve been enough of a good girl to deserve the story…» said Clarke pretending to think about it, barely holding back a laugh. Madi took her from her shoulders and tried to shake her, but she didn’t move her of a centimeter, given how small she was.

«Comeeeeee onnnnnnn moooooooom pretty please pretty please pretty please! I swear I’ll be the best girl in the whole universe alien kids included!»

Clarke started laughing at that, a giggle so long that almost made her hurt her belly and cheeks «Well, if alien kids are included too… then tell me, where did we stop?»

«At the warrior princess meeting the healer Clarissa and Alexandra falling in love with her at first sight! What happens next? Tell me Clarissa falls in love too _pleasepleasepleaseplease!_ » Clarke, after fake threats of not telling her the story anymore, managed to calm Madi down a bit. The little girl laid down under the duvet, trembling, and turned towards Clarke.

«Will you tell me now that I’ve calmed down?»

Clarke nodded and closed her eyes, searching for ideas. Last Friday at the art gallery a new, wonderful painting had arrived for a new exposition. It was titled _Tempest_ and it portrayed a ballerina dancing with a tutu represented by a sea storm, with an old ship that was about to sink. Clarke had adored it since the very first moment she saw it. It inspired her to paint during the weekend. She wasn’t done yet, but she already liked her new work. 

The painting inspired her that evening too. «So, we said that for Alexandra it was love at first sight; it wasn’t the same for Clarissa, though. It would’ve taken an accident that could’ve turned into tragedy to make Clarissa find out about the kindness of the princess’ heart.»

«Oh my! What happened?» asked Madi curiously, hands hiding her mouth.

«A terrible tempest» said Clarke with a serious tone «The village’s houses were all destroyed and there was no place to hide. Clarissa, though, knew well those woods, she grew up there after all, and she remembered that not very far from where they were there were some caves big enough to shelter every habitant of the village. So Alexandra and Clarissa lead together their people to the caves. There wasn’t exactly enough space for all of them, but Alexandra gave up her place to protect the kids from the storm. That act of generosity and altruism didn’t pass unnoticed by Clarissa’s eyes. The girl realized how good the princess truly was, and she saw her under a new light. She wasn’t only a good fencer and a right ruler, she was also a good person. Her eyes shone of a beautiful light when she laughed, and her red hair looked like burning flames crackling in the wind. Clarissa found her beautiful.»

« _Ooooohhhh they fall in looooooveeeeeee!_ » said Madi excited. Clarke smiled, and nodded.

«Yes, they fell in love» said Clarke kissing her daughter’s forehead «They fell in love of that love so powerful it could beat every difficulty. That love so true and pure it can overcome distance and death, and can last forever» Clarke was thinking about her parents, about the love that had kept them united and that still burned, even if her dad was dead. Her mother had moved on, that was true, and she had found another person to share her life with, but Clarke knew for sure that a part of Abby’s heart would have always belonged to her father.

Madi frowned, and looked at her mother, deep in thought. Clarke noticed it and asked what was the problem.

«Mom, is that the love between you and dad?»

Clarke looked at her daughter and bit her lips, not knowing what to say. Madi was too young for certain things, but at the same time she had a maturity that went beyond her age; she didn’t show it often, but she did it in the moments that counted, like that one. Clarke sighed and decided to tell her the truth. «No, my dear. The love between your dad and me has ended, it hasn’t lasted forever. But neither he nor I are sad about it now, and we don’t regret in any way having been in love with each other the way we have loved each other» Clarke smiled and winked at her «Because otherwise there would’ve never been this small little girl I love so much and that is all my life» she said, and she suddenly started tickling Madi. Madi screamed and started laughing, trying to run away from her mother. But Clarke wrapped her in a hug so tight it almost took her breath away, never letting her go «It’s you, my love. My love for you is that kind of love, endless.»

Madi hugged her mother back and plastered her skin with kissed, making her burst into laughter «I love you too mom, so so so so so so much, soooooooooooooo much!» Madi spread her arms and grinned broadly, and Clarke melted «I love you this much!»

Clarke hugged her again and kissed her head «I love you this much too»

They stayed silent for a while, enjoying their small bubble of happiness that only the two of them could create. At a certain point, though, Madi raised her head and said: «So? How does the warrior princess story end?»

Clarke laughed and told her the end of the story «It ends with Alexandra and Clarissa getting married, and together they defeated all the monsters and won all the wars. The village where Clarissa used to live was rebuilt, and so were all the others that got destroyed during war. Clarissa kept healing people seeking her help, and with Alexandra she ruled the reborn country wisely. And they lived happily ever after.»

Madi yawned and got settled better in her bed, tucking herself in «I liked this story. But I wanna know what happens next! You can’t simply say “and they lived happily ever after”! I want more!» she protested, barely holding back another yawn «Will there be kids? Will another bad guy come? Is there magic in that land? How about dragons? I want fire-breathing dragons even if they don’t have to guard princesses locked up in super duper high towers…» Madi yawned again and closed her eyes, smiling softly.

«Of course, my love. I’ll tell you whatever you want» said Clarke kissing her daughter. She turned off the light and wished her goodnight just like every evening, getting back a small flying kiss and a mumbled «’night, mom» from an almost asleep Madi. Clarke smiled and closed the door.

Yes, she would have told her whatever she wanted. Madi made her too weak not to satisfy such a simple wish.

***

Weeks passed, and with them it seemed like Madi’s new passion for warrior princesses passed too – after a binge watch of _Xena_ on Netflix, of course, and having fallen in love with Olimpia because her name reminded Madi of auntie Octavia – with much pleasure from Finn and some bitterness from Clarke. She had started getting fond of Alexandra and Clarissa, with their thousands of adventures and their eternal love.

Until one day Madi ran to Clarke’s car, once done with school like every afternoon, with a folded paper in her hands. She opened the passenger’s door with a big smile and greeted Clarke with a kiss, if possible even more excited than usual.

«Miss Fisher found a way for me to become a warrior princess!» she said, and gave Clarke the folded paper, hyped «Pretty please mom tell me I can do ittttttt!» Madi mimicked a prayer with her hands and put on her softest face, the one Clarke could never resist.

A warning bell chimed in Clarke’s head. _This kid wants to fool me, I know that for sure._ Clarke wore her gaze thin and took the paper, unfolding it. What was written in it, though, left her completely speechless.

It was the leaflet of a kids’ fencing course.

«Since you and dad always tell me that I am your princess, miss Fisher thought that I just need to learn how to be a warrior!» said Madi happily «This way I’ll learn to fight like you showed me! _ZAM ZAM ZAM_!»

Clarke was at a loss of words, she had no idea what to say to her daughter.

Graphically speaking, that leaflet was well done. Clarke’s artistic eye had immediately caught the perfect disposition of words and pictures, directing the eye towards the most important parts. One of the pictures represented a woman dressed in the complete fencing gear, with only a long brown tail coming out of the mask. She had a foil in her hands – Clarke didn’t understand a thing of fencing, but she had learned to recognize the weapons by watching the Olympic games – and she looked ready to fight an enemy outside of the framing. The way she was put was fascinating, it seemed like they had caught her while dancing. Clarke understood perfectly why her daughter was so attracted by it.

Clarke raised her gaze towards Madi, who was still looking at her, full of hope. Clarke thought a bit about it, then raised a finger.

«I have to talk about it with your father first, but if you behave we might think about letting you try it and then decide together» Madi exploded in a scream of happiness and started dancing on her seat, incapable of holding back her joy. She crushed Clarke in an endless hug that left both breathless.

«Thank you thank you THANK YOU!»

Clarke smiled at her daughter’s happiness, and started the car to go back home.

She could have never imagined what that decision would have led her to.

_ That love so true and pure it can overcome distance and death, and can last forever. _

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are really appreciated :)


End file.
